Located in Duchang County of Jiangxi Province, the waters near the Laoye Temple of Poyang Lake have been called the "waters of death" by locals, the Chongqing Evening News reports.

From the early 1960s to the late 80s, more than 200 vessels sunk there, leaving over 1,600 people missing.

Infrared images revealed a 2-kilometer-sandbank under the waters. One theory was that this sandbank had blocked flowing waters and generated huge whirlpools that engulfed vessels.